United States vs. Canada’s Image and Reputation
Since Trump took office, and arguable when he even began campaigning, the image of the United States dramatically shifted in the eyes of the world. They became a reluctant, unstable, and untrustworthy ally as opposed to a moving country that most countries wanted to work with. These international shared feelings are directly correlated with how most feel about Trump rather than the country. While over half of the voters during the January 2017 elections voted Republican, many are regretting it now despite their loyalty to the Republican party. The United States was always branded as “the place where dreams come true”, “a free land”, and “a safe haven”. Where has that image gone? The President himself admitted it himself in a famous campaigning speech: “Sadly, the American Dream is dead”. In many ways, the United States’ image and political, economic, and social damage will be hard to restore once President Trump leaves office.
Meanwhile, Canada released Budget 2018 that emphasizes growth of the middle class, reconciliation with Indigenous communities, advancements in job creation and technology, protection of the environment among many other positives. Though Prime Minister Trudeau continues to be under fire with his pipeline project, he is not fuelling the debate with late night tweets and he said-she said commentary. Every country has their short-term and long-term issues. Let’s take a look at the nature of the press surrounding each country and country’s leaders over the past day:
| President Donald Trump | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau |
|---|---|
| Warden, G. (13:02 BST May 3, 2018). US-China trade begins with Trump call for ‘level playing field’- business live’. The Guardian. | Tunney, C. (4:00 EST May 3, 2018). Trudeau family getting its meals delivered from 24 Sussex to Rideau Cottage. CBC News. |
| Jacobs, B. (7:07 BST May 3, 2018). House Republicans nominate Trump for Nobel peace prize. The Guardian. | The Canadian Press. (22:00 EST May 2, 2018). Justin Trudeau says Indigenous rights agenda needs time. The Globe and Mail. |
| Jackson, D. (7:12 a.m EST May 3, 2018). Donald Trump acknowledges Stormy Daniels payment, denies affair or use of campaign money. USA Today. | Campbell, C. (20:00 EST May 2, 2018). Progress takes time. But Trudeau doesn’t have a lot left. The Globe and Mail. |
| Teague Beckwith, R. (May 2, 2018). President Trump Has a Lot of Legal Problems. Like, a Lot of Legal Problems. Time Magazine. | The Canadian Press. (11:57 EDT May 2, 2018). Trudeau won’t say whether Liberals will delay cannabis legalization. CTV News. |
| Holland, J. (2:25 EST May 2, 2018). Yes, Donald Trump Is Making White People More Hateful. The Nation. | Global News. (14:17 EST May 1, 2018). Justin Trudeau says Conservatives ‘just don’t get it’ on carbon tax. Global News. |
Unsurprisingly, there are 7 times for stories on President Trump between May 1st and May 3rd than there are for Prime Minister Trudeau. So this brings us to the question, is the United States living in Canada’s shadow for their image and reputation? While some Canadians are unhappy with Trudeau’s pipeline project, illegal immigrants traveling via the US, among other issues, Canada’s issues seem to be quite minor to those of the United States on an international level.
Comparing Their Reputation to Yours
Likewise on a smaller scale, investors and potential partners can easily be driven to a competitor based on negative results online about companies and their CEO’s. InternetReputation.Services has seen companies go under time and time again, losing business to bad press.
It is possible that the negative press is working in Donald Trump’s favour. If we are ruling that “there’s no such thing as bad press” then is this working in Justin Trudeau’s favour? Internationally, more countries are leaning towards working with Canada on trade deals, environmental efforts, summits, and other projects instead of the United States. Regardless of the who’s living in who’s shadow, it is safe to say that the countries and their leaders have juxtaposing images and reputations as neighbours. In February 2017, before the Prime Minister and President’s first meeting, Daniel Dale from The Star in Washington released Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau: A 21-point comparison which accurately paints the reputation differences between both country leaders.
While InternetReputation.Services encourages you to see that less than surprising image comparison from The Star above, we also highly encourage CEO’s and businesses to monitor their online reputation. Bad press can drive investors to competitors ultimately, affecting your bottom line.